This is an example of a pervious pavement system similar to what is proposed for Fairview Park City Hall's parking lot. This system was installed last year in a city parking lot in Lakewood.Bruce Geiselman, Northeast Ohio Media Group

FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio - Officials plan to repave the City Hall parking lot with pervious pavement to reduce stormwater runoff, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will pick up most of the cost.

The EPA has awarded the city $84,000 -- 60 percent of the project cost -- to repave the lot with bricks on top of layers of stone. Gaps between the bricks will allow rainwater to flow into the ground, where the stones will filter out nutrients before the water flows into the soil below, said Matt Hrubey, development department administrator.

The goals are to eliminate pools of water, which has been a problem with the existing asphalt parking lot, and reduce the amount of stormwater flowing into nearby Coe Creek. Part of the water from the City Hall roof also will fall into the stone bed instead of going into storm sewers.

"At our back entrance, we've had water pooling there," Hrubey said. "This will allow the administration to solve the problem in an environmentally friendly way."

The city needed to repave the existing parking lot anyway, Hrubey said. While pervious pavement generally costs more, this project will save the city money.

"While this type of paving is typically more expensive, since the EPA grant covers 60 percent of the cost, it is actually less expensive than traditional paving," Hrubey said.

The city will contribute $56,000 toward the total $140,000 project cost. City Council is considering legislation that would allow the city to hire a firm to do the work this summer.

Signs posted in the parking lot would explain how the pervious pavement system works and include information about how private property owners could install similar systems on their property. The signs are a requirement for the EPA demonstration project grant, Hrubey said.